Case for cosmetic products comprising a base, a cover and a removable spacer plate

ABSTRACT

A case for cosmetic product(s) in the form of disc(s) that can for example contain a solid, waxy or paste-like formula, including at least a base having a continuous bottom without an opening and walls defining at least one inner housing directly receiving at least one disc of cosmetic product, a cover articulated with respect to the base about a rear pivot axis, and a spacer plate including at least one opening passing through its thickness in order to form a compartment directly surrounding the disc of cosmetic product in order to maintain the latter between the plate and the bottom of the base, where the spacer plate and the base respectively include means for removable attachment cooperating with each other so that the spacer plate is mounted in the base in a completely detachable manner.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of FrenchApplication No. 1908449, filed on 25 Jul. 2019, the disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

1. FIELD

The present disclosure relates to containers of the case type forcosmetic products, in particular in order to receive cosmetic productsin the form of discs (or cups) that can for example contain a solid,waxy or paste-like formula.

2. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF RELATED DEVELOPMENTS

There are numerous types of receptacles for cosmetic products, inparticular for make-up. In the more specific field of containers of thecase type comprising a base and a cover articulated in such a way as toform a closed chamber, it is already known to provide one or morehousing(s) in the base in order to place therein at least one coloredcompressed powder in the form of a solid disc, or a waxy formula that iscolored or not. This relates namely to eye shadows, face powders(foundation, blush, tanner) or products for applying makeup to the lips.

These cases allow, for some, to contain a plurality of discs of variouscolors or of various shades of the same color disposed in a plurality ofindependent housings provided for this purpose.

However, the interest of these cases called “pocket” cases is that theyare easily transportable, but limits of dimensions are quickly reachedwith regard to the number of discs that can be contained inside. Thus,it is normal to have a plurality of different cases for various types ofproducts (eye shadow, powder foundation) and/or colors/shades of colors,which can quickly become difficult to manage because of the number ofcases to transport.

It is normal, however, for a person to use this type of case at home inorder to put makeup on in the morning before going to work, thus with afirst type of makeup and/or of colors/shades, bring it to work in theirbag, possibly use it during the day in order to touch up the makeup, andwish to use it again in the evening without going home in order toenvision another type of makeup different than the first.

However, as has already been indicated above, the palette of colors orof shades of colors is very limited, in general 4 shades and rarely morethan 8, so that the person cannot greatly vary type of makeup, unlessthey bring with them a plurality of cases (with the disadvantagesmentioned above) or have to stop by their home, which is not verypractical or even sometimes impossible. This person will therefore mostoften settle for the colors/shades proposed by the case that they haveon them. The cases of the prior art are therefore limited in their dailyuse.

A solution described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,421,127 or 4,826,014 allows toreplace discs of makeup by using a spacer plate articulated by a rigidconnection to the case (base and/or cover) in which the discs aredisposed. However, these cases remain rather bulky, namely for questionsof manufacturing (incorporation of hinges), and/or of resistance and/oralso of “perceived quality”. However, at present, the reduction in thequantities of materials used in the manufacturing of parts made ofplastic materials, even in the case in which they are recyclable, is aquestion that is becoming more and more important. Moreover, thechanging of discs can be impractical and not polyvalent. Finally, thesecases are complex to manufacture and are not optimized with regard tothe implantation of the discs (loss of space).

SUMMARY

The present disclosure aims to overcome these disadvantages with atotally innovative approach.

For this purpose, according to a first aspect, the present disclosurerelates to a case for cosmetic product(s) in the form of disc(s) thatcan for example contain a solid, waxy or paste-like formula, comprisingat least:

a base comprising a continuous bottom without an opening and wallsdefining at least one inner housing directly receiving at least one discof cosmetic product,

a cover articulated with respect to the base about a rear pivot axis,and

a spacer plate comprising at least one opening passing through itsthickness in order to form a compartment directly surrounding the discof cosmetic product in order to maintain the latter between said plateand the bottom of the base, characterized in that the spacer plate andthe base respectively comprise means for removable attachmentcooperating with each other so that said spacer plate is mounted in saidbase in a completely detachable manner.

The disclosure is implemented according to the aspects and thealternatives disclosed below, which should be considered individually oraccording to any technically effective combination.

According to one aspect, said means for removable attachment consist ofan exclusively mechanical link.

Advantageously, said means for removable attachment respectively consistof a protrusion cooperating with a complementary hollow in such a way asto together form a link of the clip type.

Preferably, the spacer plate comprises at least one protrusion in theform of a hook protruding from each of its sides, while the basecomprises corresponding hollow housings respectively arranged in twolateral borders facing each other.

According to a specific aspect, each side of the spacer plate comprisesa pair of hooks cooperating with two hollow housings arranged in therespective lateral borders of the base.

According to a design alternative, said means for removable attachmentconsist of elements having magnetic properties.

Preferably, said means for removable attachment are respectively magnetsand metal parts, or only consist of magnets.

According to an advantageous mode of construction, the elements havingmagnetic properties are disposed respectively in the immediate vicinityor on a front edge of the spacer plate and of the base.

Preferably, the elements having magnetic properties consist respectivelyof a magnetized bar housed in the base, and a magnetized strip insertedinto a housing of the front edge of the spacer plate and separated fromthe bar by a predetermined distance.

According to a design alternative, the spacer plate comprises, at itsrear edge and near its sides, two protrusions cooperating with lateralhousings arranged in the base.

Advantageously, the elements having magnetic properties are disposedrespectively at the listed of the spacer plate and at the lateralborders of the base.

According to a particular mode of design, the elements having magneticproperties consist of two first pairs of magnets disposed respectivelyunder lateral rims of the spacer plate on the one hand, and two secondpairs of magnets protruding from the bottom of the base on the otherhand.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the spacer plate comprises aplurality of housings in order to house a plurality of discs of cosmeticproduct.

Preferably, each disc is inserted into its respective housing by slidingbetween two parallel lower rails arranged under the spacer plate.

In an alternative realization, each disc is sandwiched between two upperand lower portions forming the spacer plate.

Advantageously, the two portions of the spacer plate are articulatedwith each other.

The present disclosure also relates to an assembly comprising a case asdescribed above and a storage chest with drawers each supporting aspacer plate provided with disc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages, goals and features of the present disclosure are clearfrom the following description given, with an explanatory and in no waylimiting purpose, with regard to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first aspect of a case forcosmetic product(s) according to the present disclosure,

FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of certain elements of the case of FIG.1,

FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of certain elements of the case of FIG.1,

FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of certain elements of the case ofFIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a second aspect of the casefor cosmetic product(s) according to the present disclosure,

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a third aspect of the case forcosmetic product(s) according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective top view of the case of FIG. 8 once assembled,and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of certain elements of the case of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 to 6 represent a first aspect of a case 1 for cosmetic productsof the disc type according to the present disclosure.

This case 1 is for the most part made from a single plastic material,preferably biosourced, and has the shape of a rectangularparallelepiped, for example of a format that can be held in one hand,with a total thickness of several millimeters to approximately 1 cm. Itallows to transport cosmetic products 40 such as, in a non-limitingmanner, eye shadow, foundation or lipstick.

For this purpose, the case 1 comprises a cover 10, also acting as amirror carrier, articulated on a base 20 about a common hinge 25 in sucha way as to form a closed receptacle when the cover 10 is closed on thebase 20.

The cover 10 comprises more precisely an outer lid 11, the outer finishof which can be of various types (brilliant, matte, decorated, etc.), amirror-holder frame 12 linked to the outer lid 11 using hooks 14protruding laterally from the lid 11 and collaborating with housings 16provided in the mirror holder 12, and a mirror 13 sandwiched between theouter lid 11 and the mirror-holder frame 12.

As for the base 20, it comprises a bottom 21 surrounded by inner walls22, a front side 23 and the other portion of the hinge 25.

This case 1 also contains a spacer plate 30 that is removable andpreferably reusable provided with a flat rim 31 and perpendicularlateral walls 32 defining housings 33 that pass all the way through fordirectly receiving the solid discs of makeup 40, which are three innumber in the present case.

The lid 11 has, on a front edge, a housing 15 intended to receive afirst means 61 for removable attachment of the cover 10 consisting forexample of a metal bar having magnetic properties, or of a magnet.

This first means for removable attachment 61 cooperates with a secondmeans for removable attachment 62 consisting for example of a metalstrip having magnetic properties, if the first means for removableattachment 61 is a magnet, or of a magnetized strip, if the first meansfor removable attachment 61 is a metal bar having magnetic properties ora magnet. This second means for removable attachment 62 is inserted intoa housing 34 made in the immediate vicinity and preferably on a frontedge 36 of the spacer plate 30, as is namely visible in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The base 20 also comprises a third means for removable attachment 63 inthe form of a bar similar or identical to the first means for removableattachment 61. In the present case, the third means for removableattachment 63 is a magnet but it can consist of a metal having magneticproperties if the second means for removable attachment 62 is a magnet.

The first and second means for removable attachment 61 and 62 cooperatewith one another, in the closed position of the cover 10 on the base 20,in such a way as to maintain the case 1 closed. For this, a firstdistance E1 is defined between the first and second means for removableattachment 61 and 62, for example several millimeters, preferablybetween 1 and 5 mm. This distance E1 is maintained constant when thecover 10 is closed and corresponds substantially to the thickness ofmaterial of the mirror holder 12.

The second means for removable attachment 62 also cooperates with thethird means for removable attachment 63 in order to maintain the spacerplate 30 inside the base 20, while making it possible to disconnect itfrom the latter.

For this purpose, the second and third means for removable attachment 62and 63 are spaced apart by a second distance E2 smaller than the firstdistance E1, so that the force of magnetic attraction between the secondmeans for removable attachment 62 and the third means for removableattachment 63 is greater than the force of magnetic attraction existingbetween the first means for removable attachment 61 and the second meansfor removable attachment 62. Typically the distance E1 can equal half oreven a fourth of the distance E2. Thus, when the female user opens thecover 10 and moves apart the first and second means for removableattachment, the spacer plate 30 remains perfectly in place in the base20.

However, when the female user wishes to change one or more disc(s) 40carried by the spacer plate 30, it suffices to act on the lug 51 of saidplate by placing a finger at the hollow 52 of the base 20 and to raisethe spacer plate 30 upwards against the force of magnetic attraction ofthe second and third means for removable attachment 62 and 63. Bearingon the two lateral sides rear of the spacer plate 30 can also allow totilt it by raising its front edge 36.

Once the spacer plate 30 has been removed, the person who uses themakeup case 1 can thus replace one or more disc(s) 40, or place anotherspacer plate 30 already provided with discs different than thoseremoved. For this, a small auxiliary chest (not shown) is provided andencloses a plurality of spacer plates 30 already filled with discs, forexample one plate by shades with various tones of said shade. The femaleuser can thus put on makeup in the morning with a first set ofcolors/shades and very quickly change said initial plate in order tohave available one or more totally different other plate(s) for theevening.

According to the aspect illustrated by FIG. 7, the third means forremovable attachment 63 cooperates this time directly with the firstmeans for removable attachment 61 in order to allow the cover 10 toremain closed on the base 20. In the present case, the first and thirdmeans for removable attachment 61 and 63 each consisting of a bar andare either two magnets, or a magnet on the one hand and a metal parthaving magnetic properties on the other hand.

The second means for removable attachment 62, intended for maintainingthe spacer plate 30 in the base 20, in the present case consists of twosmall lateral bars 62 a fastened to the spacer plate 30 by lugs 64 andcooperating with small studs 62 b inserted into prominent housingsprotruding from the bottom 21 of the base 20. The removable fastening ofthe spacer plate 30 onto the base 20 thus no longer occurs at the frontface of the case 1 but on the sides of the latter (more precisely of thespacer plate 30 and of the base 20). As above, the bars 62 a and thestuds 62 b are either two magnets, or a magnet on the one hand and ametal part having magnetic properties on the other.

FIGS. 8 to 10 illustrate a third aspect of the case 1 of cosmeticproducts 40 according to the present disclosure.

In this alternative, the spacer plate 30 is removably connected to thebase 20 by means of a mechanical fastening taking the form of hooks 71arranged on the sides of said plate 30, said hooks 71 being engaged inthe manner of a clip into complementary hollows 72 provided in thelateral walls 22 of the base 20.

In this aspect, the discs 40 are placed in the openings 32 of the spacerplate 30 after having been slid along lower rails 35, which facilitatestheir placement and guarantees their retention.

The cover 10 is maintained in place on the base 20 using a mechanicalsystem comprising on the one hand, at the base 20, a hook 81 connectedto a push button 82 mounted on elastic lateral lugs 83, and on the otherhand, at the cover 10, a housing 84 provided in order to receive saidhook 81.

The case 1 of cosmetic products 40 thus designed thus has a great easeof use and a high level of polyvalence namely because of the rapid andeasy replacement of the discs 40 or of a complete spacer plate 30.

Its bulk is reduced just like the quantity of plastic material used.

It must be understood that the detailed description of the object of theDisclosure, given only as an illustration, does not in any wayconstitute a limitation, the technical equivalents also being includedin the scope of the present disclosure.

Thus, the number of housings provided in the spacer plate can be greaterthan the number described in the illustration drawings.

The means for fastening the mirror holder onto the lid can be differentthan those described.

The shape of the magnets and/or of the elements having magneticproperties can also vary as long as the magnetic fields thus generated(and the forces of magnetic attraction induced) allow on the one handthe closing of the cover onto the base and on the other hand theremovable fastening of the spacer plate in said base.

What is claimed is:
 1. A case for cosmetic product(s) in the form ofdisc(s) that can for example contain a solid, waxy or paste-likeformula, comprising at least: a base comprising a continuous bottomwithout an opening and walls defining at least one inner housingdirectly receiving at least one disc of cosmetic product, a coverarticulated with respect to the base about a rear pivot axis, and aspacer plate comprising at least one opening passing through itsthickness in order to form a compartment directly surrounding the discof cosmetic product in order to maintain the latter between said plateand the bottom of the base, wherein the spacer plate and the baserespectively comprise means for removable attachment cooperating witheach other so that said spacer plate is mounted in said base in acompletely detachable manner.
 2. The case according to claim 1, whereinsaid means for removable attachment consist of an exclusively mechanicallink.
 3. The case according to claim 2, wherein said means for removableattachment respectively consist of a protrusion cooperating with acomplementary hollow in such a way as to together form a link of theclip type.
 4. The case according to claim 3, wherein the spacer platecomprises at least one lateral protrusion in the form of a hookprotruding from each of its listed, while the base comprisescorresponding hollow housings respectively arranged in two lateralborders facing each other.
 5. The case according to claim 4, whereineach side of the spacer plate comprises a pair of hooks cooperating withtwo hollow housings arranged in the respective lateral borders of thebase.
 6. The case according to claim 1, wherein said means for removableattachment consist of elements having magnetic properties.
 7. The caseaccording to claim 6, wherein said means for removable attachment arerespectively magnets and metal parts.
 8. The case according to claim 6,wherein said means for removable attachment only consist of magnets. 9.The case according to claim 1, wherein the elements having magneticproperties are disposed respectively in the immediate vicinity or on afront edge of the spacer plate and of the base.
 10. The case accordingto claim 9, wherein the elements having magnetic properties consistrespectively of: a magnetized bar housed in the base, and a magnetizedstrip inserted into a housing of the front edge of the spacer plate andseparated from the bar by a distance.
 11. The case according to al claim9, wherein the spacer plate comprises, at its rear edge and near itssides, two protrusions cooperating with lateral housings arranged in thebase.
 12. The case according to claim 6, wherein the elements havingmagnetic properties are disposed respectively at the lister of thespacer plate and at the lateral borders of the base.
 13. The caseaccording to claim 12, wherein the elements having magnetic propertiesconsist of two first pairs of magnets disposed respectively underlateral rims of the spacer plate on the one hand, and two second pairsof magnets protruding from the bottom of the base on the other hand. 14.The case according to claim 1, wherein the spacer plate comprises aplurality of housings in order to house a plurality of discs of cosmeticproduct.
 15. The case according to claim 14, wherein each disc isinserted into its respective housing by sliding between two parallellower rails arranged under the spacer plate.
 16. The case according toclaim 14, wherein each disc is sandwiched between two upper and lowerportions forming the spacer plate.
 17. The case according to claim 16,wherein the two portions of the spacer plate are articulated with eachother.
 18. An assembly comprising a case according to claim 1 and astorage chest with drawers each supporting a spacer plate provided withdisc(s).